NASA names Artemis III crew for 2027 launch test

NASA has named the four astronauts assigned to Artemis III—a 2027 mission that will test key steps needed for a return to the moon in 2028. The crew includes three NASA veterans and one Italian European Space Agency astronaut, selected during a June 9 news con

When NASA announced the Artemis III crew at its Johnson Space Center on June 9. the excitement was loud—but the mission itself is designed for precision. not spectacle. Artemis III, targeted for 2027, will not land on the moon. Instead. it will rehearse the complex sequence NASA needs to be ready for boots on the lunar surface as early as 2028.

The crew includes three first-time or veteran fliers from NASA and one Italian astronaut from the European Space Agency—making Parmitano the first ESA spacefarer to fly on an Artemis mission. Like the world-catching Artemis II. Artemis III is also a critical test flight. and NASA’s choices reflect both experience and a carefully assembled team for what comes next.

All four astronauts are men.

The mission’s commander, NASA astronaut Jeremy Bresnik

Bresnik, 58, was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky, and considers Santa Monica, California, his hometown. Married with a son and a daughter, he retired as a Marine colonel and test pilot, flying combat missions in Kuwait.

He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2004. Bresnik has flown to space twice: first in 2009 on a 10-day shuttle flight to the International Space Station, and again in 2017, when he was on the ISS for 139 days.

At the news conference, Bresnik framed Artemis III as a stepping stone rather than a finale. “Spaceflight is hard, and that’s why the most important Artemis mission will always be the next Artemis mission,” he said. “Every single mission we do after this will be more challenging and more complex.”

Pilot Luca Parmitano, European Space Agency astronaut

Luca Parmitano is 49. He was born in Catania on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, and is married with two daughters. Parmitano is a colonel and aviator with the Italian Air Force, and the European Space Agency selected him as an astronaut in 2009.

He has been to space twice. In 2011, he spent 166 days in orbit as part of the Italian Space Agency’s first long-duration mission on the International Space Station. He later returned to the ISS between July 2019 and February 2020.

At the news conference, Parmitano described the honor and the weight of the job ahead. “I am honored by the role that I’ve been given,” he said. “I’m also very humbled by the task in front of us, but first and foremost I’m grateful.”

Mission specialist Frank Rubio, NASA astronaut

Frank Rubio, 50, was born in Los Angeles, California, and considers Miami, Florida, his hometown. He is married with four children.

Rubio is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and holds a doctorate in medicine. He served in the Army as an aviator and a physician for more than 28 years, and he has flown combat missions during deployments to Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Rubio was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017. He has flown once. on a mission to the International Space Station that between 2022 and 2023 stretched to an unplanned 371 days after issues with the crew’s spacecraft prompted Russia to send a replacement Soyuz capsule. Because of that delay, Rubio holds the record for the American with the longest single spaceflight.

Speaking at the event, Rubio tied his role to the larger team. “What an incredible blessing and an honor it is to be standing here representing all of you,” he said.

Mission specialist Andre Douglas, NASA astronaut

Andre Douglas is 40. He was born in Miami, Florida, and was raised in Chesapeake, Virginia. Douglas is married with two sons.

He earned a doctorate in systems engineering from the George Washington University and previously served in the U.S. Coast Guard. NASA selected him as an astronaut in 2021.

Douglas has not yet been to space, but he served as a backup crew member for the Artemis II mission.

At the news conference, Douglas sounded energized by the chance to work alongside the others. “This mission is going to be fantastic, what an excellent crew, very proud to serve with these gentlemen,” he said. “Go Artemis, go NASA.”

Artemis III: what NASA is actually testing in 2027

Artemis III is the third mission under NASA’s new lunar program and the second mission with a crew. Targeted for 2027. its primary objective is for astronauts aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft to meet and dock in low-Earth orbit—the same region where the International Space Station operates—with both commercial lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.

The astronauts will travel to space aboard Orion on top of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket. The launch would come from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

After reaching orbit, Orion’s crew will rendezvous and dock with each lander. The first docking begins with Blue Moon, which the astronauts also plan to enter, followed by the Starship Human Landing System (HLS). NASA said they may or may not enter the Starship HLS.

The landers are set to reach orbit through separate rocket launches: SpaceX will use its Starship Super Heavy booster, while Blue Origin plans to launch on its New Glenn.

The trip will end with a water landing in the Pacific Ocean near California.

Bringing Orion, two landers, and new leadership into one rehearsal

The structure of Artemis III is designed for sequence as much as for destination. Orion carries the crew to low-Earth orbit. where docking with both Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 and SpaceX’s Starship HLS becomes the core test. In other words. the mission is less about stepping onto the moon than about proving that the handoffs. schedules. and spacecraft connections are ready.

With Artemis III targeted for 2027 and a lunar landing attempt planned as early as 2028 for the first time in more than 50 years, NASA’s next step is about turning a crewed mission into a reliable pathway back to the lunar surface.

Artemis III NASA Orion Space Launch System SpaceX Starship HLS Blue Origin Blue Moon Mark 2 Artemis moon program lunar landing 2028 Johnson Space Center Luca Parmitano Jeremy Bresnik Frank Rubio Andre Douglas